Getting divorced and going through the process of a child custody case can be emotionally taxing and often quite difficult, even for the best of us. It’s a very emotional process that can often leave people reacting emotionally rather than thinking things through rationally.
But sadly, this can lead to making some mistakes that might impact how well your custody case goes in the future. The courts and social workers will be evaluating your behavior throughout, which could affect the final decision. Here are common child custody battle mistakes to avoid.
Parental Alienation
The child custody experts at M Sue Wilson will always advise against keeping your children from the other parent. No matter what the other parent has done, except physical violence or emotional abuse, it should not impact your children and the amount of time they get to spend with their mom or dad.
Similarly, no matter how angry or hurt you are, your children shouldn’t be involved in these feelings, so don’t talk badly about the other parent or in front of them. Kids tend to thrive best when they have two parents who love them and get on for their sake, even if both parents are not living together.
Emotional Outbursts
The whole situation of divorce and child custody can be very emotionally frustrating. However, you should always try and deal with any feelings that come up for you in the healthiest way possible.
It can be frustrating if your ex-spouse is trying to accuse you of something falsely or if you don’t feel heard or believed. So, it’s up to you to make sure you keep your emotions in check. Therapy can help you work through these negative feelings that may be coming up due to the situation.
Not Paying Child Support
If your children live with their other parent most of the time, you may be required to pay child support to support your children financially. If you are not making an effort to support your children financially now or are withholding child support as a way to get back at the other parent, the courts are likely to take a dim view.
Not to mention that withholding child support might ruin your relationship with your kids in the future. Even if you’ve not been ordered to pay by the court, make financially supporting your children a priority.
Failing to Communicate
Once separated and sharing custody of the children informally, it’s important to make sure you communicate everything with the other parent and keep their wishes in mind. Taking your kids out of the area for a day out, for example, might not be a huge deal to you, but this could be a serious situation if you fail to inform the other parent of your plans.
Adjusting to a divorce and a different type of family life can take an emotional toll. But if you’re going through a child custody case right now, it’s important to keep yourself in check and avoid making these common mistakes that could put you in jeopardy.
